Icing on the cake

I was Featured!

2011-08-02T19:15:00.001-07:00

My St. Patty's Day Wreath was just featured on a fantastic website called AllFreeHolidayCrafts! Please check it out HERE!

Giving What You Can

2011-07-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Like most parents, I am AMAZED by how wonderful my children are. They are so sweet and giving (not always to each other, but we're working on that) and really want to help others! I have been donating to Locks of Love for years now. I basically grow out my hair every 4-5 years and then chop it off and donate. I've been talking about getting ready for my 3rd donation, and my daughter (who's 5 years old) became very interested. I showed her their website and explained why some kiddos don't have hair. Without hesitation, she asked if she could please donate her hair! Now, I was so proud but suprised. My daughter is such a girlie girl and loves being a princess, and in true princess form, she wanted to help others any way that she could. So, I made the appointment and off we went! I think it turned out ADORABLE. And, I'm so proud of the little person that my princess is becoming! Giving what you can doesn't always mean money, sometimes, it just means 10 inches of you hair:)

Getting Ready . . .

Going -

Going -

Gone!

If you're interested in donating to Locks of Love check it out here!

Personalized Tooth Fairy Pillow

2011-07-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

So, what do you do when your oldest little baby gets her first loose tooth? Quickly turn out a tooth fairy pillow of course!

Materials:
A 5 year old ready to lose some teeth
sewing machine/thread
Fabric for the front of the pillow
Fabric for the back of pillow
Ruffle trim
Different fabric swatches for each letter in the child's name
fabric glue
needle and embroidery thread (to hand stitch the letters)
white felt/more embroidery thread
small piece of ribbon for bow on tooth's head (if for a girl)
small buttons for the tooth's eyes
thicker ribbon for trim around tooth

Again, no pattern, no fuss, just lots of sparkle and lots of pink. I drew out an idea and then took my daughter to the fabric store to pick out the fabric that she wanted (it is her pillow after all). Here's what she picked . . . pretty darn good if you ask me! She's AMAZING!

I turned to Martha to get some ideas and fell in love with her cute little tooth with a face, and the site has a tooth template that I used as well. The tooth was made from felt and then I hand stitched the face, sewed on a little pink bow and then sewed little black buttons for eyes. Don't forget the eyelashes;)

My FAVORITE part of the pillow has to be the personalization on the back of the pillow! Not only is it my daughter's name, but it's in her own handwritting! I had her write out her name on paper, and I cut the letters out and then traced them to the back side of the fabric. I then cut out each fabric letter.

To make sure the edges of the letters stayed nice and pretty, I glued them down with fabric glue.

Let the glue dry all the way so that it won't be impossible to hand stitch them to the back of the pillow.

While that dries, I finished the front of the pillow. I handstitched the tooth onto a little square fabric (the same sparkle pink fabric that would make up the back of the pillow). And, remember NOT to sew the top of the tooth to allow for a pocket. The tooth fairy needs somewhere to leave the dough, you know! I then sewed the tooth sqare to the front fabric, and this does not have to be perfect because you will cover the edge with trim. I used some black ribbon to outline the tooth square and sewed it down using matching thread.

Now for the long process of hand stitching all the letters onto the back fabric of the pillow. Time to get a movie going (I went with Moulin Rouge - a personal favorite). . . I'm so happy that my daughter only has four letters in her name:)

Once that is done, it's time to sew the two sides of the pillow togther and add the ruffle trim.

Remember when adding the trim to face the ruffles to the inside fo the pillows and to have the pillows inside out. Does that make sense? Hopefully, this picture helps:)

Sew all around the pillow except a little pocket so that you can turn it right side and have a place to put the stuffing in. Here's the front:

Here's the back:

Now stuff that bad boy, and slip stitch the last little sem.

Finally, we have one happy customer ready to get rich quick by losing some teeth!

And, I love that the pillow is not only personalized, but it's also done in my daughter's handwritting! I LOVE that! I know one day when she's off at medical school (haha), I'll be sitting there remembering how happy she was writting out her name to put on her very own Tooth Fairy Pillow fit for a Princess.

This entry partied today with:

Easy Breezy Maxi Dress

2011-07-04T07:14:00.001-07:00

My daughter wanted a new long dress, and I had just the idea to make a cute maxi dress in record time. A while back, I had gone to Hobby Lobby and bought some fabric on clearance that already had smocking. I also purchased some gingam purple and white ribbon, and I already had purple fabric that I had used to make a stocking last Christmas.

Next, I took the purple fabric and sewed it to the bottom of the dress fabric. folded little pleats about a half inch apart (I just eye-balled it, it is just a fun little summer dress), and pinned it down with straight pins. I then sewed it down to make a ruffle.

I then pinned and sewed the ribbon along the dress and ruffle seam.

I then used my daughter as a model to decide where the ribbon straps should go. I basicall eye-balled it and double the length of the ribbon, so it would tie into a nice bow. I then pinned and cut the ribbon in half and sewed it down.

I then pinned and hemmed the bottom of the dress so that it went to my daughter's ankles - again, I just eye-balled it. And, finally, Tah-Dah! The finished product. For under $10, in about an hour, with no pattern and a very happy daughter, I was pretty proud of the dress I was able to make.

Banana Cream Pie for the Lactose Intolerant

2011-06-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

My son is lactose intolerant, so I've been trying a few recipes using lactaid instead of milk or cream. Here is one that turned out really yummy - Lactaid Banana Cream Pie!

Ingredients
1 9-inch pie shells, baked
3 cups Lactaid
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 bananas Directions
Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready (I used a store bought and cooked it at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Meringue:
4 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, scald the Lactaid.
2. In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded Lactaid.
3. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.
4. Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.
5. In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.
6. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.
7. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.
8. Let sit until lukewarm.
9. When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas.
10. For meringue -In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust. Like this:

11. Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown

Happy Birthday Brenda!

2011-06-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

It's my friend Brenda's birthday, and I was very excited to make this fun little cake for her!

It's also my first cake using the new Wilton Sugar Sheets! They were fun and easy to use and the zebra print is pretty cute! I surrounded the cake with glitter cake balls which are triple chocolate - yum!

Happy Birthday, Brenda!

A Father's Day Poem for my Dad

2011-06-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Days go by and we're so far apart
But I can always remember from the start
Where I came from and who I am
And you being there to guide my hand

I've learned a lot from all you do
and here's five things that I got from you

5. You taught me never buy retail
Patience is a virtue and it'll go on sale.

4. I learned to tie a windsor knot (because "it's the best")
And, a girl who can tie a man's tie is a little cooler than the rest.

3. I can catch and fillet a fish
Then fry it up for a yummy fried fish dish.

2. Work hard to become, work hard for your dreams
Believe it or not, they're always closer than it seems.

And, finally, #1 is family is always 1st because they are your heart and home
And right or wrong they've got your back and you're never alone.

My Dad and I are so different - not too much the same
Now that I'm married, I even have a different last name.

You play piano - I sing a song

You sport a comb-over, my hair is long.

You're my Daddy and I'll always be your baby girl

Now I pause cuz I can't think of any more.

You are strong and so am I
We're both friendly and also shy
You believe in me and I in you
You have a temper and me too
Both of us favor the color blue
Blue like the eyes we also share
And, Hey! We also have the same color hair
You are competative just like me
We can both plan trips to a tee
When we play, we both want to win the game
Not so many differences when we're so much the same.

And, there's one thing more that I know is true
and, that's that I know you're proud of me and I of you.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you!

My Dad's new painting

2011-06-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

My Dad loves fishing and taught me to be a little fisher lady as well. His birthday is tomorrow and of course, Father's Day is the following day, and I wanted to make something special for him, because he always said homemade gifts mean so much more than store bought gifts! So, for his birthday, I painted a picture of his favorite salt water fish as well as a couple of fancy ones:)

I call it "Catch of the Day"

I hope he likes it!!

Cakes Since I've Been Gone

2011-06-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

I've done a few cakes in the past year that I'd like to share:

Here is a Christian Louboutin Shoebox Cake that I made for a friend's 40th Birthday Party.

The cake is a Strawberry Champagne Cake

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter 1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup champagne
6 egg whites

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.
3. In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

The Icing was just regular buttercream and I added some chopped strawberries in between each layer and it was so good. The shoe is a replica of Sex in the City's gold sparkle shoe that Carrie wears in the movie!

I bought a candy mold of a high heel shoe then painted red chocolate at the bottom and then poured in poured in gold pearl dust into the mold followed by off white chocolate, and then let it harden in the fridge. I then made white chocolate covered strawberries and sprinkled them with gold dust as well. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the results.

Twilight Cake
I was pretty pressed for time with this cake, so I made a store bought cake, covered it with buttercream, and then painted the cover of the Twilight book on top with chocolate. I added a few strawberries and Wal-lah - the birthday cake was complete!

Kiddos' Birthday Cakes
My sweet daughter could not decide which princess she wanted for her birthday cake, so we represented all of them - complete with a melted jolly rancher magic carpet for Jasmine! Can you pick out all the princesses?

On my daughter's actual birthday, I made pink butterfly cupcakes, from Hello Cupcake

For My son's birthday - we did a Toy Story 3 Cake; which was perfect b/c Toy Story 3 was just coming out AND my son was turning 3 - how perfect is that!

And, for his actual birthday, we did Spiderman Cupcakes! The cupcakes were red velvet and the icing was tinted blue buttercream with black spiderwebs and candy, store bought spidermans.

Well, that's it for now! More to come:)

Homemade Monkey Bread Muffins

2011-06-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Blog World!
It's been so long since I've posted anything, but I've been so super busy working full time and with two toddlers on my hand, but decided to get back into it! This morning, I had a day off and decided to try my hands and making homemade Monkey Bread Muffins - so YUMMY and so easy to make!

I adapted the recipe from a blog that I found and really enjoy called Sweet Tooth

And, here's the recipe:

Monkey Bread Muffins

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/2 tbsp Heavy Cream
Splash of Pure Vanilla Extract

- Move an oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line 1 muffin tin with 12 liners
- In a small bowl, microwave 4 tbsp butter and the maple syrup at high power until melted, about 30 seconds
- In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon
- In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, the remaining 2 tbsp of granulated sugar, and salt. Pulse until well combined. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and pulse together until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
- Pulse in the buttermilk until the dough comes together.
- Transfer to a floured work surface, and pat dough into a 10" square. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to quarter the dough, then cut each quarter into 16 equal pieces. Roll into balls
- Dip each ball in the maple butter, then the sugar mixture. Place 4-5 coated balls into each muffin cup press down gently.
- Tent the muffin tin with tin foil and bake until cooked through and golden, about 15-17 minutes.
- Mix together confectioners sugar and heavy cream and vanilla to make the glaze. While the muffins are still warm, drizzle the glaze over the muffins. Serve warm.

Recipe yields 12 muffins

So good - Enjoy Y'all!!

My kiddos will never try anything I cook again - especially on April Fool's Day

2010-04-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

So, I thought and thought on how I could do an April Fool on my 2 and 4 year old, and after searching the internet, this is what I came up with this year!

A dinner of a cake that is actually meat loaf, a pizza that is actually cake and a drink that is actually jell-o! It was easy to make and so FUNNY watching the kid's eat it!

For the pizza cake, I used a cake mix and baked it in a round cake pan. I iced it with red icing to look like the tomato sauce and used a fruit roll up that I cut into circles as the pepperoni. The "cheese" was actually grated white chocolate!

Pretty convincing!

The drink was just red jell-o that I made in a cup, added strawberries, blueberries and a straw to it before it got hard!

For the meat loaf, I baked it in a rectangular cake pan and iced it with mashed potatoes! The kiddos were definitely fooled! I asked if they wanted to eat cake for dinner (which was really the meat loaf) and of course, they said yes!

My daughter taking a sip of her drink . . .

My son taking a bite of "cake" (actually meat loaf) . . .

Smiles all around when they realized that it was an April Fools and that they were allowed to eat cake (that looked like pizza) for dinner!

Hop Hop Hoppy Easter Wreath

2010-03-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hop, Hop, Hoppy Easter everyone! I wanted to share my lastest Easter wreath! I wanted to create a very colorful egg with an Easter Bunny "holding" the egg from behind, and here is the finished product!!

I love all the bright colors against our dark door! It was so easy to make. Here are the items you will need to complete this wreath:
Egg shaped styrofoam (I couldn't find one, so I bought just a rectangle and cut it into the egg shape)
Different colored fabrics
Fuzzy fabric for the rabbit's hands
Elmer's glue
Pencil
Ribbon
Headband Rabbit Ears (I got mine at the grocery store for $1.99)

The first thing that I did was to cut out the egg shape from the rectangular shaped styrofoam using a serrated knife. Don't worry if it's not completely perfect, because the fabric should hide any imperfections.

Next a cut a slit into the styrofoam and put the ribbon that I was going to use to hang it with through the slit. I added a few more slits with ribbon for the ears and hands (that way I'd have something to sew it on with).

I then mapped out the different colors and patterns that I wanted for the egg.

I cut all the fabric into 2" X 2" squares and then wrapped each piece around a pencil, dabbed it in glue and then added it to the styrofoam. For the ears, I cut them from the headband and then sewed them to the ribbon that I had attached to the styrofoam. I also tied a bow with some different ribbon, attached a note saying "Hoppy Easter" that I printed from the computer, and glued it onto the egg. Finally, I cut out some hand shapes from the fuzzy fabric and glued them on as well!

And, that's it!! Happy Easter Everyone!!

The Eyes of Texas are Upon You

2010-03-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

So I know I usually talk about cakes on Saturday, but this week I found out that one of my techs just got into UT School of Pharmacy (my alumni)! I had been trying to help him and had written his letter of recommendation, so I feel like a very proud mentor:) To help celebrate this very special occassion, the kiddos and I made him some UT cookies and burnt orange popcorn!

We had to make the cookies quickly since we left the next day on our Spring Break trip, so we cheated and used store bought dough. My little Princess was super helpful in rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookie shapes.

Of course you have to have a longhorn and Texas cookie cutter to make the perfect UT cookies:)

Here they are cooling off while we made the royal icing. Now I know you can make it with meringue powder, but I don't think it tastes as good, so we made royal icing with egg whites using this recipe:
2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
Basically, you just beat the egg whites and lemon juice with a hand held mixer while you slowly add the sugar a cup at a time until it's all mixed. Then add your food coloring.

Here's the finished cookies!

For the colored popcorn, we just followed the direction on the back of the popcorn kernel jar, but also added food dye to the oil along with 1/4cup of sugar.

Then we put on the lid and let the popcorn do its thing.

Nothing says UT like burnt orange popcorn! Congrats 'V'!!! I'm so proud of all your hard work!

Today I Am . . . Shirt

2010-03-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

My kiddos love to pretend, so I decided to make a shirt to make it clear to the rest of the family who they were on that particular day! It was super easy and the kids love them! Here's my son's shirt:

Here is my daughter's shirt:

It just says,"Today I Am" and then it has boxes that he/she can place a little check or heart in so we know if he/she is "Batman" or a "Fairy" or "Spiderman" or a "Princess" or best of all, him or herself! To make the shirt, I just printed out different fonts from our computer, made a stencil from freezer paper, ironed it on and painted!

For the check and heart, I just used sticky velcro and put a little square in the middle of each box (I used the soft part of the velcro for the shirt), and one little square on the felt check or heart that I cut out.

And, that's it! A quick and easy way to make a really fun shirt!

12 Months 1 Table Runner

2010-03-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

I enjoy decorating for all the holidays, even the little ones:) My dining room is the first thing that people can see when they walk into my house, so I love having a decorative table runner, but those things can get expensive, so I came up with a year round table runner that you can change for each holiday. Here it is in action for St. Patty's Day!

This was not only SUPER easy, but also very inexpensive to make! Here's what I did! I bought two large poster boards, 3 yards of white fabric ($2.99/yd plus they were having a 30% off sale - I LOVE SALES!!), sew on velcro, and different holiday colored ribbons and fabrics. I decided on the design that I wanted for each holiday (hearts for Valentine's Day, clovers for St. Patty's, etc) and printed the shapes out from our computer.

For the actual tablerunner, I measured out how long I wanted it, folded the fabric in half and cut it out. I then hemmed the edges and sewed a strip of velcro down the center of the runner. I also sewed some velcro at either end of the runner horizontally to attach the holiday designs.

To make each holiday design, I cut out the image from the computer, traced it on the poster board, cut it out and then using my hot glue gun, I glued the different fabric on each shape. I finished with some decorative trim and then glued a piece of velcro on the back.

I took the cordinating ribbon and sewed on a long piece of velcro so that I could attach it to the center of the tablerunner. And, WAH-LAH, that's it!! So simple and fun! The possibilities to this project are endless!! I love it! Here are the holiday designs that I've completed so far. I'll post more as I get them completed.

Valentine's Day! If you look closely, you can see some of the velcro at the bottom of the hearts, but I don't think will ever show unless people get right up on it, so don't stress over it (I did at first, and decided it was gonna be ok).

St. Patty's Day!

Easter!

That's all I have now, but I'll be working on it the rest of the year:)! I highly recommend getting creative with this project, and if you do, please send me pics! I'd LOVE to see what all you EXTREMELY TALENTED ladies out there can do it!

This was FEATURED at:
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Finding Fabulous

Holy Cape, Batman . . .

2010-03-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

My kiddos are huge fans of superheros! There are a few that are more popular at our house, Batman (girl), Spiderman (girl), and of course, Hulk Man (as my son prefers to be called). Last Halloween, both kiddos dressed up as superheros, and since their birthdays are right after Halloween and only 13 days apart from each other, we decided to keep the superhero theme alive with a Superhero Party! I did an Evite invitation on the computer and included a picture of the kiddos in their Halloween costumes!

Look at all those muscles!!
I used a lot of ideas for the party from Birthday Party Ideas! It is such a great reference for party ideas!
The invitation said:
"Calling all Superheroes! We must unite to defeat the super villain! Please meet at headquarters to prepare for the invasion. We must defend our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of a happy birthday! If you can join with us to defeat this villain and eat cake, please respond as soon as possible with the following top secret information: 1. Your secret identity (your name.) 2. Your superhero name. 3. Your superpower. 4. Your super color. Your participation is vital to the success of this mission!" People did their RSVP there on the website. Those that could come said "You can count on me!" Maybes were "I'll see if my cape is back from the cleaners" and if they couldn't make it, it said, "My powers are GONE!" It was a lot of fun seeing all the creative super powers and superhero names that my friend's came up with!

From the information I gathered, I made each guest a superhero T-shirt and cape! Now it may sound like a lot of work, but it was super fun and EASY! I bought a bunch of shirts from Hobby Lobby for ($2.99/each) and Target (clearance $3-$4/each). I bought about 4 1/2 yards of black felt, a few precut squares of white felt, some adhesive velcro and some fabric glue. I also purchased some iron on transfer paper ($7/10 sheets).

This stuff is super easy to use!!
I used Photoshop to come up with each child's superhero design! It was so fun putting together all the different superheros based off their information. I then transversed the image, printed out 2 copies of the image on the transfer paper and ironed it onto the shirts. I then cut out a cape from the black felt (this was so easy, I just put the felt up to my daughters back and with a piece of chalk, drew a cape in the size of the bigger kids, and did the same for the cape for the smaller kids using my son as my reference). I ironed the second image onto the white felt and then used the fabric glue to glue the image onto the the cape. To attach the capes to the shirts, I just used the adhesive velcro on the shoulders of the shirt (I put the soft part of the velcro on the shirt, so when the kids wore it without the cape it wouldn't scratch them).
** Transversing the image on photoshop is very important! I forgot to do it on my shirt and this is how it came out:

I tried to cover it up by saying I was Superhero MirrorImage, but I think they knew what really happened:)! Luckily, that was the only shirt I messed up on (itsn't cute though, with the pictures of my kiddos in their Superhero costumes!?)
Here are a few of the other designs!

Here's my son as Silver Sir Finn Hulk Man! It's a hybrid of the Silver Surfer, a knight and the Hulk!

Of course, my daughter was Super Princess!

This was Super 'G'!

Even the babies got superhero shirts (I bought a package of 3 white onesies (I had 3 baby superheros) from Wal-Mart for a couple of bucks). I didn't do capes for the babies for safety reasons.
When the kiddos arrived for the party, I made a big sign for the front yard with my little superheros in their costumes and the words, "Superhero Headquarters". Right next to the door was a giant punching bag of Batman, and I made a sign that looked like the quote bubble from a comic book that said, "Welcome Superheros. Come on in and prepare for Training". When everyone arrived, we passed out their shirts and capes and let them play for a little bit before the games began.

Here's the Superheros in action!
And, what would superheros be without a super villian? Introducing Captain Havoc (played by my very patient/loving hubby)!

I made his shirt and cape the same way and used some left over felt to cut out a mask!
The games we played were actually part of the "training" and included:
1. Find the hidden Kryptonite (which I hid in the pinata, so when they broke it the kryptonite (little glow stick necklaces that I got at Party City) fell out along with the candy). They had to find one Kryptonite stick each and put it in their party gift bags. There was one blue Kryptonite that we used later on to defeat Captain Havoc as well.

2. Captain Havoc released a bunch of BOMBS (bouncy balls from Party city) in the bounce house, and the superheros had to collect all the bombs and hide them safely in their gift bags as well.

3. We also did an obstacle course made out of the kids' slide (which we already had), hop scotch pads(already had), hula hoops and cones that I got at Target for $1/each on clearance after summer. (Plan ahead and save!)

We had snack food and pizza with little signs that said, "POWer Snacks". I made an all inclusive superhero cake that had Spiderman, Wonderwoman, Batman, Superman (woman) and the Hulk represented.

I think the party went really well, and when all was said and done, it really didn't cost much money at all. The superheros got to take home kryptonite, a bouncy ball, superhero tattoos and stickers ($1 at Target that I got months ahead of time), Superhero Pencils ($1 for package of 6 from Target), and their shirts and capes. I had many calls from my friends the next couple of days saying that their kiddos had wanted to sleep in or keep wearing their superhero clothes! That made me feel super happy:) I really don't know how I'm gonna top this party, but I'm sure gonna try!!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow . . .

2010-03-14T03:14:00.000-07:00

This week has been so wonderful! Even though I have had to work this week, the anticipation of being off and taking the kids to visit my best friend and then my parents over Spring Break has kept a smile on my face. This week on my Sunday is for Family blog, I'd like to share an old family story, it's not about my beloved kiddos this week, but it's an oldie but goodie in my family.

This story is about my Mom and my aunt when they were little girls, and my Papa (their daddy), who was one of the most amazing men who ever lived! He had two daughters and three granddaughters and LOVED being surrounded by all "HIS girls" (he actually ended up having FIVE great-granddaughters as well (and finally, my son brought up the tail end), but sadly, he passed before he was able to meet them). He loved HIS girls so much and would do anything for them, even if it was not perhaps the best idea . . .

Once a LONG LONG time ago when my Mom was a little girl (just joking, mom), my Papa took her and my aunt to the zoo. There were some baby "ducks" standing around, and the girls told my Papa that they wanted some ducks for pets! (OK so this is the bad judgement part) My Papa reached down, gathered 2 of the ducks, and they left the zoo. As days went by and the ducks grew up, GUESS WHAT?? They were not ducks at all! They were big, mean geese! Everytime the girls would go outside, these geese would attack them, and when they weren't busy biting the girls' bottoms, they were honking and making all kinds of ruckus. (Karma does have a way to come back and bite you in the butt, doesn't it? LITERALLY in this case). The story didn't end well for the geese, but for some reason, when I remember this story, it reminds me of the free and loving spirit that my Papa radiated. He left his handprint on so many hearts and touched so many lives. I feel so BLESSED that I was able to have him in my life, because the love he gave me is what I truly hope to pass down to my babies.

My Papa and Mom

Anyway, I hope that story makes you smile, and that your smile lasts all week long!

I have one final thing to share with you on this Sunday! Look at this BEAUTIFUL rainbow that the Lord blessed us with this week! And, my entire family was able to stand outside and see it TOGETHER!

“May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step along the way. May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.”
~Irish Blessings quotes

PS. Because, I will be traveling, I may not be able to post everyday, but I will TRY!!

Introducing the Abby Cadabby Cake! Brought to you by the Letter G and the Number 2

2010-03-12T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's not my best work, but I am just really HOPING Baby G will enjoy it! To those who may not know who Abby Cadabby is, here's a pic! She's a newer resident on Sesame Street and so adorably cute.

I must admit, that I was terribly anxious when asked to do this cake, because I really don't think I've ever made a character cake before, and I'm not a pastry chief or artist and didn't really know where to begin, but I took the plunge anyway. Here's the finished cake . . .

And, here's how I made it:

Here's the initial drawing.

I used Wilton's 3D Bear Cake Pan and followed the direction to make the body of little Abby. I baked the left over cake mix in a loaf pan and cut it into half to make the gift.

I then carved off the arms and legs, and cut off the ears so that I could re-attach them a bit lower.

I then covered the gift in fondant, began making a fondant bow in yellow, and attached new fondant arms and legs (I use marshmellow fondant that I make from the recipe here, and I'm included a tutorial below on how to dye it). I then re-attached the feet to the ends of the new fondant legs with buttercream icing. I also reattached the ears with some buttercream icing and toothpicks. I added two round fondant spheres on the top of her head where her hair would go, and finally, I crumb coated the entire cake in buttercream icing.

Because Abby the puppet has fur, I wanted to have a textured look to the icing. I did this by using the star tip and piping little pink stars for her body. For her hair, I used a grass tip. I covered everything else using fondant - including the little white flowers in her hair.

Here's a close-up of the bow and "tag" on the gift.

Here's a closer look at the dress. It is made of different shades of blue and purple fondant which was cut into leaf shapes and stuck on with a little bit of water. To add shimmer, I painted on some edible glitter.

Since Baby G is turning two, I stamped in little 2's on the gift's wrapping paper.

For Abby's wings, I carved out wing shapes from fondant and allowed them to dry over night. I then created a slit in her back, added a little buttercream and shoved the wings into place.

Just to add a little umph to the wings, I piped on a few swirly things.

Everything else on her face is fondant (well, except the mouth which I piped on). Like I said, it's not my best work (to see other cakes I've done, click here), but it was pretty fun to make. I just hope Baby G likes it and has a really great day! Happy Birthday, Baby G!

How to color fondant (for April):

This is how I do it anyway:) I create a little tub in the fondant.

I add the color (again I used Wilton's). For black, add what you think is enough, and then slap on a little more.

Turn the fondant in on itself and start kneading.

Will your hands get dirty? Heck ya they will! But, if you wash them right afterward, it should all come off. And, that's it . . . keep kneading . . . keep going . . .you're almost done . . .ok, when the color is uniform, you can stop kneading! Hope that helps!

And Our Guest Blogger Is . . . SWEET CHARLI!

2010-03-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

I am SO EXCITED to have my first blog swap and am so honored that it is with Kami from Sweet Charli! Let me tell you, this is one crafty lady (or ladies rather, because her very talented sister, Jena, authors this blog as well! She is also an amazing photographer - check her photos out here!). So, please, visit their site and hit that follow button, because these gals are AMAZING!

Here is a little bit about Sweet Charli Author Kami:I am the mother of Charli (she's my whole world, hence the name of this blog!), sister to Jena, wife to Jordan. I love creating things, especially accessories. I love checking out other creative blogs and sharing ideas! Blogging is the evil that prevents me from doing most of my housework! I also have been practicing a lot of fun things on my sewing machine, I hope to one day move out of the 'beginner' category! I am surrounded by wonderful family and friends here in Utah, most of whom I get lots of my inspiration from! I hope that this blog will inspire all you to do the same!

Here's a little taste of what these creative MOMMIES will inspire you to create!

Spring Wreath Tutorial

This wreath is so much fun, I love the way it brightens up my door from the road. Here's what you'll need:

Styrofoam Wreath Form
Tissue Paper
Flower
Wire
Hot Glue
Ribbon

FIRST- cover your wreath form with tissue paper and glue (I used mod-podge 'cause that's my "solve everything" glue!)

SECOND - start making your tissue paper flowers. If you've never made one before, here's how:
Cut a square of tissue papers (I used about 5 sheets, 4x4 squares) and begin folding back and forth like you did in elementary to make a fan. Once done folding, take your wire and wrap around folded paper, and twist the wire so the paper won't come unfolded.
Then, cut the ends of the tissue to be round.

THIRD - take each flower and begin spreading the tissues apart. Be careful not to rip them. If there are a few rips, however, they aren't very noticeable!

FOURTH - once you are done making all your flowers (place them around the wreath so you know when you have enough), trim all the wires to about 1/2 in - 1 in stub.

FIFTH - make sure before you glue your flowers to your form, you place them all where they are going to go. *Be sure to glue the ribbon on (to hang your wreath) BEFORE you glue your flowers on!

SIXTH - put glue around the base of the wire stub, then stick the wire into the styrofome.

Hang your wreath with that pretty ribbon you glued underneath your flowers and
Waaahlaah!

Hope you enjoy your new Spring wreath!

***SAVE THAT LEFT-OVER TISSUE PAPER, FOR MORE FUN, SPRING IDEAS***

And, here's another GENIUS idea (I'm gonna make this one - I LOVE it)!

Earrings & Jewelry Stand Made in only 1/2 HOUR!

Seriously, this project took 30 minutes max! And I literally had everything I needed to make it laying around my house!! Here's what you will need:

Any kind of frame
Paint
Sand Paper
Fabric
Wire/String/Chicken Wire - (your choice)
Hot Glue
Cork Board
(the soft kind, your earrings will not poke through if it is hard)
Jewelry!

Here is an old frame I had...

I painted in black, then sanded it

Took my cork board and cut it to fit in one of the sides of my frame...

Wrapped one of my fabrics around it and glued the ends

I took my wire (you can use chicken wire, that'd be really cute, and I think you could probably fit more earrings), glued it to the inside of my frame.

Then I put the other fabric in the other side, added all my danglies, and studs, and some rings and a bracelet...(I put push pins in to hold my rings and bracelet)
and whaalah!

It not only makes a great jewelry stand, but also an added home-decor item!

FYI: If you decide to make this cute item, and have lots of earrings like muah (me), I suggest using a bigger frame!! And if you do make this, please send us a pic! We love seeing all the different ways one item can be made. We will post your pictures for everyone to see!

Love,
Kami

Thank you so much, Kami! Please go to Sweet Charli and visit Icing on the Cake there today, and don't forget to hit Kami's follow button to help her reach her goal of 200 followers by April!

Another Saucy Stocking

2010-03-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

For today's blog, I have just finished another Saucy stocking! This is another birthday gift for a very dear friend of my (her birthday is in June, but I try to never procrastinate). My friend is a fashionista/diva/energetic type of gal, and I hope she loves her stocking! Here is the finished product:

Very SAUCY!

It was inspired by Christian Louboutin, who is known for his red soled shoes!

Here is my original drawing!

After that, I created a pattern and then sewed the stocking together!

The best part in making a stocking are the embellishments!

I added nude colored satin and topped it off with fishnet stockings, red ribbon, red cequins and red FRINGE! (I love this pic. I think it turned out a bit naughty looking - MEOW).

It was so fun to make, and I hope she likes it! Happy Birthday, B! Check out my other stockings here!

Today I'm visiting:
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

My Last WHO-RAH to Winter

2010-03-09T22:34:00.000-08:00

Since spring has officially entered my life (YAHOO), I wanted to give one last winter-esk tutorial . . . making a Pidge scarf! Now up until a few months ago, I had NO idea how to knit, but after watching a few tutorials by Threadbangers, I quickly learned how! It is so easy and the things you can make are endless. Here are a few of my first scarves that I made. Are the mindblowing and crazy good? No, but they were really fun and easy to make.

This is just a black scarf with a few white stripes and the ends. I gave this to a friend of mine for Christmas.

Here is a second scarf that I completed for my hubby. Yes, he is in his PJs doing is very suave interpretation of a GQ model. What time is it, sweetie? Haha!

These next two scarves are called Pidge scarves, and I learned how to make them from a Threadbanger tutorial. You can literally whip these out in a couple of hours, and I love the buttons. Here are two that I made for some other friends of mine. (My poor family & friends!! They have to put up with some many of my COTH (crafts of the hour))!

They really are a great winter accessory and look great for guys and gals!

Thanks dear family and friends for always being so supportive and accepting all my homemade gift - Love y'all!!

Dinosaur ROAR shirt & shorts

2010-03-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

Since my daughter got her ruffled apron, I thought it was only fair to make a little something for my son! He is a BIG fan of roaring (loudly) like a dinosaur, so I made a "Dinosaur ROAR" tee shirt with matching shorts.

(Gosh, he's just so darn cute; I just want to eat him up!!)
I purchased the shirt and shorts for around $3.50 each a Wally World and then copied a couple of pictures of dinosaurs from a coloring book and cut them out.

I then traced the dinosaurs onto some orange fabric and used 'Heat N Bond' to iron the fabric onto the shirt and shorts.

I printed out the lettering and then used freezer paper to create a stencil. I then ironed on the freezer paper and used fabric paint to color in the letters.

I first painted the letters in black and then went over the black with a brown paint. I was trying to create a Bedrock-esk look with the letters.

Afterwards, it was just a matter of the paint drying and then presto, my little guy had some cool new digs!

PS. Sorry the pictures are a little funky, I hit myself in the head with my camera a while back and since then the camera (nor my head) have been the same! Any suggestions on what kind of new camera I should get???

Today I'm visiting:

Ruffled Apron

2010-03-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

My sweet princess asked for an apron that went down to her feet, so that's what she got. It was very easy to make and didn't cost a thing since I was able to use some left over fabric that I had laying around.

I first took a piece of white fabric and cut it into a rectangle. I sewed the edges and than layed out the strips of fabric. I placed each one about 3/4" underneath the strip of fabric that was above it.

I hemmed each strip and then sewed the top of each strip with my sewing machine, but did not create a knot, so that I could pull the thread and create a ruffled look. I sewed each strip onto the white fabric and than sewed a piece of ribbon at the top.

Wah-Lah! A floor length apron fit for a princess.

This project was featured at Somday Crafts!

Today I'm visiting:

Sunday Fun Day

2010-03-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

This was such a wonderful week! I was off from work, Nanny came to visit and we had lots of sunshine! It was also my best friend's birthday and my sweet hubby's birthday and tonight we are going to a birthday party for my SIL's birthday!

My sweet princess had so much fun with her Nanny. She has also started to play "Ro-bot". She speaks in a very robotic way and says thing like, "I am a ro-bot. I am a sis-ter ro-bot num-ber 4." While in the car playing robot, she said, "I am a ro-bot. I have me-tal hands. I have lots of gas." I'm assuming she means that b/c she's a robot, she runs on fuel, but really how funny is that! My mom and I almost wet our pants we laughed so hard. She was also excited to finally get her "apron that touches her feet". (It's so easy to make, I'll post the tutorial later this week). I wear an apron when I cook, and she's been wanting one that goes to her feet, and does my princess get what she wants? Heck ya she does, especially when it doesn't cost a thing:)

My little Hulk Man had a great time with his Nanny too. He did have to go to the doctor and get a shot, but he did end up with a new ball, Cars toothbrush (Nanny's a dental hygenist) and gummy bears. So, it worked out ok. Yesterday afternoon, after Nanny had left, I thought our little sweet angel was taking his nap. When I heard him call out for me a couple hours later, I was in for a big shock. He had not been sleeping, he had exploded a tube of Desitin and had smeared it all over his bed, blankie, wall, sheets, carpet and himself.

There REALLY is a HUGE difference between raising a girl and a boy, and I think these pictures say it all!

Let them Eat Cake

2010-03-06T14:22:00.001-08:00

Hello Everybody! We are finally having some beautiful sunny weather, and I could not be happier! I have just been HIRED to do a cake! I've been making cakes for years, but nobody has ever paid me before (to see past cakes, click here). I was excited, but now I feel lots of pressure to get it right. In the past, there really was no anxiety because I figured if I messed up that I could run and buy a cake really quickly since I was just doing it to be nice, but now . . . GULP! I'm already crossing my fingers!! It is going to be a little girl's second birthday, and they are doing Sesame Street. Her parents asked for an Abby Cadabby cake with the letter 'G' and the #2. Here is a picture of Abby from Sesame Street!

Isn't she so cute! (DOUBLE GULP) And, here is my sketch of the cake I plan on making:

Abby is holding a gift with a tag that says, "G is for Gia" and the gift itself is covered in the number 2. I'm only hoping that I can pull it off - wish me luck - lot of luck!! The party is next Saturday, so if nothing goes wrong, I'll post pictures then:) (Final GULP)!

I was FEATURED!!

2010-03-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO excited! I just got featured on Someday Crafts for my Pot O' Gold Wreath! Check out the tutorial here! Thanks so much Michelle; you've made my St. Patty's DAY:)

I was just looking through everyone's blog, and guess what? I just found out that my Pot O' Gold wreath was also featured on Life as Lori! What and honor! Thank you so much!!

Just saw that I was featured on Creative Itch for my stockings! Thank you so much for the honor, Misty!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

2010-03-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

It's my hubby's b-day!! This year all he wanted was something new for his iPod, so that's what he got, but in the past, I was a bit more creative! Here are a few past gifts that I think would make great birthday or Father's Day presents!
(PS. He's a very hard guy to buy for, so if anyone else has a great hubby's b-day or Father's Day gift idea, PLEASE share it!!)

Here's a T-shirt quilt that I had made for him out of all his old college day T-shirts that he loved so much, but that were falling apart! At first, he was in a state of shock, but now, he really enjoys it and uses it while watching the tele in the evening. I had it made right here in Addison, Texas by a terrific mother daughter duo called Texas T-Shirt Quilts! They were great, fast and very reasonable!

Now, what mother puts their little daughter's handprint in the shape of a gun with a note "get your guns up"? Anyone whose husband graduated from Texas Tech, that's who! Come on Red Raiders, get your guns up!! Having graduated from UT, we are rivals; however, I let it slide when making this plate for my hubby. He LOVED it. Combine a man's baby along with his favorite school and you get one grateful and happy man!

Here's the back of the plate . . . sooooo sweet! You can see I got it done by Heavenly Toes!

This is a scarf that I knitted for him. He wasn't overly excited at first, but this has turned out to be one of the longest and coldest winters in Texas history, so he's actually worn it a lot and seems to really like it. By the way, this was his very GQ "I'm looking at my watch" pose! What a model, I feel he really captured the essence of the scarf:)

Finally, this was actually an engagement present for him. It's a fairly large painting and the letters stand for "eternally yours SP" (my wedding name initials). We still have it hanging up in our dining room, and I love what it represents and how far we have grown as a couple these last 10 years! Happy Birthday, My Love. Hopefully next year I can be a bit more creative:)

St. Patty's Day Wreath

2010-03-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

Erin Go Bragh! We love St. Patty's Day at our house and to help decorate, I made this wreath for our front door!

It was very easy to make but a tad time consuming. I bought 4 heart shaped pieces of foam ($2 each), 1 yard each of two different shades of green fabric ($4.19), 1 package of glittery foam sheets (3.99), Foam glue (already had, but it's probably around $2), 1 little piece of faux black leather fabric (already had), gold pen (already had but I think it's about $2), Chuck E Cheese's Tokens (we have plenty in our reserves here at the house), and finally, 1 piece of green ribbon.

I used my rotary cutter to cut the fabric into 2X2" squares.

I glued the tips of the hearts together to make a clover shape and secured it by tying them with the fabric.

I then wrapped the squares of fabric around the end of a pencil and glued them all over the clover. It took about two hours.

I then used a large bowl to cut our strips of the glittery foam for the rainbow and glued them together. I then glued the rainbow to the wreath.

To make the pot, I used the little swatch of black faux leather and cut it out in the shape that I wanted and then hemmed the edge. I then rolled a small piece of fabric into a tube and sewed it to the top of the pot to make the lip. Next I glued Chuck E. Cheese's tokens between the pot and rainbow and all over the wreath.

Finally, I attached the ribbon and hung it up! I just hope it brings us the luck of the Irish! Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

Today I'm visiting:

This project was featured on AllFreeHolidayCrafts! Please check out their site for more great ideas!

Happy Birthday, My Dear Friend

2010-03-03T04:38:00.000-08:00

Today is my BESTEST friend's birthday! She is such an amazing and strong individual, and I love her so much! A few years ago, while Mel was traveling around the world, I painted a picture for her. I didn't know where to send it, so it eventually ended up framed at my mom's house.

This year, I tried to improve on this concept! I kept the blue butterfly surrounded by purple idea and even included a poem that I had written under the butterfly. I didn't get many picures, because I was entertaining my two toddlers, but here is one after I completed the border.

So, how do you paint while watching the kiddos? You try to get them involved too and HOPE they enjoy it enough to stay entertained until you're done (which didn't happen, but they did have fun)!

To create the center of the painting, I painted a background color, taped off where the butterfly would go, added plaster, wrote in my poem, and then added several more layers of paint. Afterward, I peeled of the tape of the butterfly and painted that. I polyed the butterfly but nothing else.

And here it is completed! It's full of little hints of our friendship, which I know she will appreciate! I'm not sure if it's as good as the original, but I really like it!

Happy Birthday, Mel and thank you for always being such an amazing friend!

Easy Cowboy Polo

2010-03-02T16:16:00.000-08:00

I saw this Wrangle Me Tee from I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar and had to give it a try! It was so easy and turned out so cute! My little guy seemed pretty happy with it too:)

Here's how easy it is to make!

I just bought a polo shirt from a discount store for $3.50 and a product called "Heat and Bond" (which works just like the name says). I then used wax paper to make a template for the fabric.

I then cut out the fabric and ironed it on the Heat and Bond, cut it out, peeled of the backing of the heat and bond and then ironed it onto the shirt.

And, that's it! Super easy!

Here's the back. Thanks Cheri for such a great idea!

I loved the Heat and Bond so much that I quickly enhanced and pair of pants for my daughter who LOVES Belle. It was the same idea, I cut out a picture of Belle than used Heat and Bond to attach her to a pair of yoga pants that my daughter already had! She was so excited and wore them the rest of the evening!

Smile! It's Monday!

2010-03-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, which means, it's my last night of work for the week - YEAH! I usually sleep most of the day on Monday, but I have some great craft ideas that I have planned for this week! Plus, my mom is coming to town . . . EXTRA HELP! Double YEAH! I hope everyone has a great day!

Sunday is for Family

2010-02-28T06:35:00.000-08:00

(Here are my sweet babies riding with Nanny, sporting their shades)

I love my kiddos more than anything in the world and Sunday is family day! The day when I share all the excitement of my motherhood moments of the week! This week, on a not so fun note, both kids had pink eye. Our 2 year 2 month old little Hulk Man (he truly prefers to be called Hulk Man Lightning Mcqueen Thomas, but for the survival of my typing finger, I decided to shorten it to Hulk Man – FYI) got it first and took it like a champ. Eye drop time was more like a match from the WWF (except real) but with Hubby’s help, we were usually victorious. Our little Princess got it next, and can we say, “DRAMA”!! She sat on the couch forcing a frown, and when I asked her what was wrong she said, “I have to have my face like this, because it hurts too much to be happy.” Doubt it not, she received plenty of consoling and pampering, and we maintained the princess lifestyle that she has grown accustomed to. Poor babies! And, poor Daddy, because it happened on my work week, he took the brunt of this fun!

Flipping to the sunnier side of things, Hulk Man has decided he’s ready for the potty! He’s been saying he wanted to use the potty a lot lately, but I think it’s been more of a chance to “feel” things out than to go to the potty. However, we went out to dinner this week, and he went with Daddy to the bathroom. My hubby came back with a smile plastered on his face. Hulk Man actually went peepee in the potty! Well, on the floor, he missed the potty completely, but the idea was there – the aim was off, but the idea was spot on! YEAH! So, our Pee/Poo Potty Patrol game has begun! We bought the Cars Pull-Ups, we got the Diego potty seat and I found Incredible Hulk undies – what more could a little guy need? Yesterday, he even said he had to go poopoo, and he sat for a while, said he was done, and than pooped in his Pull-Up. Once again, the idea was right on, even if the timing wasn’t! Can my life exist without Pampers and Desitin? Hopefully, I’m about to find out!

Bake some Cake Ideas

2010-02-27T00:58:00.000-08:00

My kiddos and I were watching Food Network Challenge (a family favorite) and began discussing their birthday cakes. Now even though their birthdays are 8 and 9 months away, it did get my creative juices flowing, and I do love planning ahead . . .way ahead:) My son, who will turn 3, knew right away that he wanted a Cars cake, and my daughter, who will be turning 5 (WHAT???!) decided she might like a Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) cake. Here are a few ideas I found!

Here is a great tutorial on how to do a Cars cake from Make Fabulous Cakes! I'm definitely going to refer to her site when attempting my son's cake, and I only hope it will turn out as well as this one!!

For my daughter's cake, I wanted to do something a bit different than a cake using a Barbie doll, and I think the next couple of cakes are sparking some pretty good ideas. I saw this ruffle cake on Be Different . . . Act Normal (isn't that a great name?), and thought that it might be a great idea to do a three layer cake. The bottom layer could be similar to this ruffle cake (done by Nikole Herriot) but done in yellow (I would REALLY need to work on my piping technique FOR SURE to even get close to something this beautiful), followed by a middle layer done in shades of yellow and with fondant ribbons and a "diamond" pendant similar to the bodice portion of Belle's dress. Finally, for the top of the cake, I could make a princess crown. It would be lots of work, but I think it could turn out pretty darn cute!

Another Princess cake idea comes from Elisa (an amazing cake designer and regular on Food Network Challenge) at Confetti Cakes. I was thinking of doing the box in different shades of yellow, including a little Belle figurine, but instead of having the box closed, perhaps having it a bit more open so that you could look inside. And what would be hiding inside? A princess crown! I think my little princess would really love it!

Now this final cake idea is just about the CUTEST and most CREATIVE idea I've seen! It is from Bakerella, and it is a cake designed from a child's drawing! I love this idea!! And, even if it's not for one of my kiddos' birthdays, I am definitely going to have to give this genius idea a try! Check out Bakerella's tutorial on how to do this SUPER CUTE cake!

Now, I do realize that the chances of my kiddos still wanting the same kind of cakes months from now are slim to none, but just in case I WILL be READY:)!!

Here are a few examples of past birthday cakes that I did for my sweet babies!

For my daughter's first birthday, she had a teddy bear themed birthday, and I made two 3D teddy bear cakes, one little one for the birthday girl, and one larger one for everybody else.

For her second birthday, she was really into the Backyardigans, and Tasha was her favorite. I was 9 months pregnant with my son, so I came up with a very simple design - Tasha's dress with a Tasha stuffed animal on top! It was very easy to do . . . wish I could say the same about giving birth to my son; which happened 13 days later:)!

For the next birthday season, I created a Tinkerbell cake for my daughter and an underwater themed cake for my son's 1st birthday!

For Halloween last year, Superheros were very popular at my house! My daugher really liked Spidergirl, but decided to go with Supergirl because she dug the red boots more than the black boots that went with the Spidergirl costume! My son was and still is a die hard Hulk fan . . . in fact, even now, he still makes us call him "Hulk Man" every once in a while!

For their birthdays, we just kept the theme going, and I made one all inclusive Superhero cake!

We had Spiderman, Batman, Supergirl or Superman, Wonder Woman, and of course, The Hulk represented!

I just LOVE making cakes and can't wait for my kiddo's birthday season to roll around! They truly are my biggest INSPIRATION!

So Bright You Gotta Wear Shades - It's a Giveaway

2010-02-25T23:55:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to mention a great giveaway at Anthroholic! She is giving away a pair of Kinsie Nicoletta Sunglasses. Check out how cute these are!

Head on over to Anthroholic to check out the give away!

Today I visited at Craft Blog Central at Kid Giddy

Chalk it up

2010-02-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

A while back, I decided to make a little craft table for my kiddos. I purchased an inexpensive wooden table and chair set from Micheals. After I assembled it, I painted the chairs and the bottom of the table with colors that I had left over from painting the kids' rooms. For the top of the table, I decided to use chalk board paint in the middle and then add a border using alphabet decals. I looked FOREVER for the decals, because I wanted each letter to have something that started with that letter included (for instance, I wanted the letter 'A' to also have an apple or alligator with it). I was able to find the decals on clearance at Lillian Vernon, and they were exactly what I had wanted. That made me super happy:) I also included my kid's names on their chairs with some stickers and then polyurethaned everything - well, except the chalkboard part. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out, and my kids use it all the time!

I still have some chalkboard paint left over and wanted to find some other fun things to use it for, so . . .

I found some really great ideas at Two Hearts Together. And, I REALLY LOVE the flower pots done at Bedzine! I can't wait to make these, because I love growing herbs in my kitchen and have tons of little pots! Check out these cuties!

I'm sure you've seen these adorable coasters from Me and My Bucket! I think I will try to tackle them too, just because they are too darn cute not to!

I also love the idea of using Chalkboard contact paper (I found it for only $6.99 a roll at Resources for Reading) to make wall decals! Check out this cute idea from Little Birdie Secrets!

And, did you know they make Chalkboard Cloth???? It's about $12/yd. Wouldn't it be cute to make a purse and add a little of this fabric on a front pocket? Then you could keep your to-do list very close to you all day long! Oh my gosh, my brain is now in overdrive . . . I love it:)

Oh, and PS, you know Martha has some great chalkboard paint uses, and she takes it a step further and teaches you how to make chalkboard paint in different colors!

Today I'm linked up to:

Party Down

2010-02-24T01:54:00.000-08:00

Today I've headed over to my first blog party. I'm just getting wild and crazy in my old age;)! Check out the fun at Someday Crafts! There are some extremely talented folks at this party, and I love all the great ideas. I posted my Pink Snowgirl Cake and am hoping that others are inspired or at least take the time to read my extremely detailed tutorial - LOL! I hope everyone has a great Whatever Goes Wednesday!

Sweet And Unique

2010-02-23T01:27:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who makes the CUTEST dresses! Her name is Kristin, and she is a super talented Mommy of three who makes dresses, skirts, QUILTS, purses and even does beaded art! Her brand is called Sweet and Unique, and it is definitely BOTH! My daughter LOVES the dress that Kristin made for her and everytime she has worn it, we've gotten tons of compliments!

Here is my little princess in her dress! I love the color combination (Kristin will custom make it just for you, so you get to pick the fabric combination that you want. Kristin called this her "sunburst" color combo, and it's still my favorite!) and she does hand smocking which makes the dress stretchy, so when she can't wear it as a dress, it will make a great little tunic! I love any item of clothing that we can use for more than one year:) And, all her smocked dresses are only $35! Such a great deal for such an adorable dress!!! Here are more examples of Kristin's amazing work!

Here is Kristin's twirl skirt! What little girl wouldn't feel like a princess ballerina in this skirt?

She does pillowcase tops and dresses from $15-$25! Such a steal!!

I LOVE this QUILT! It is so amazing! (Kristin you MUST start a blog! I'd love to keep up with everything you do!!)

Here are some bags that she makes! I think the are so AMAZINGLY ADORABLE!! And, they have all kinds of pockets . . . would make an great diaper bag!

Here are some sling bags and wristlets!

For more examples of Kristin's sewing talents, click here!

Kristin also creates beaded art!

Here are some examples of serving utensils and coffee scoops!

Here's one more taste of her amazing and creative talents!

To see more of her beaded art click here!

If you'd like Kristin to make anything for you, shoot her an email at kristinchambers79@gmail.com and enjoy something Sweet and Unique made just for you or your little princess!

Snow Days

2010-02-13T01:57:00.001-08:00

We had a record breaking 12.5 inches of snow in Dallas this week! The kids and I had so much fun! Unfortunately, I had to work this week; however, I did in some good play time!

Here I am about to go to work having a friendly snowball fight with the kiddos! You can see our snowman in the background. I let my son pick out the eyes, and he decided on Ritz crackers, and my daughter chose the nose and mouth . . . oranges, of course (she's really into oranges lately). She did hit me with that snowball, but. . .

I pegged 'em back! We had tons of fun!

My little guy. He's favorite thing was definitely the snowball fight!

My sweet princess, who loved making the snowman!

Here's what I drove home to the next morning on my way home from work! And, the snow was still falling!

Here's a pic of part of the golf course near our house! The picture could not capture how beautiful everything looked!!

Here's the kiddos making snow angels on the second snow day! Plus, they didn't have to go to school, which made them pretty happy also:)!

It's Juicy

2010-02-13T00:11:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest cake creation! It's a Juicy Purse for one of my co-worker's daughter who is turning 15, loves Juicy purses and loves pink. I was in a mad rush to get it done due to lots of snow (being stuck at work) and lack of time; therefore, some of the details are not as nice as I would like them, but I am proud of the way it turned out for my first cake purse! It was fairly simple to make. I used a 9 X 13" cake pan and than halved the cake and layered the halves using buttercream icing. I than covered the entire cake with pink fondant and added some brown fondant at the top of the cake. For the bow, I used a darker pink fondant, shaped the bow and let it dry for 24 hours. I traced the "Juicy" letters and than carved them out of fondant. For the ribbon on the top of the purse, I wrinkled some fondant to look like fabric and than added some graments around them that I painted gold. I made the strap out of brown fondant and added stitch marks (although, you cannot really see it in the picture). Finally, I added a little gold heart, painted it gold and added on a pink '15'! I hope she likes it! Happy Birthday J!

I love having my own personal architect, now I just wish I had enough money to utilize him!

2010-02-09T02:37:00.000-08:00

I love being in awe of people's creativity or artwork, and I am constantly amazed by one artist in particular, my husband! He owns his own company, and he's a licensed architect, builder and realtor, and he builds the most beautiful homes, and I love watching his creative process - from idea, to sketch, to huge blue prints, to the actual building process and finally, the tangible masterpiece! Here is his latest creation; which was just chosen by a group of realtors as the host home to a very fancy party! Congrats, my love!! I am so proud of you!!

I LOVE me some SCIENCE

2010-02-09T01:14:00.000-08:00

As I venture into another week of work, I thought it would be a good time to discuss organization! It is my job in the morning to get my 2 and 4 year olds up, fed, dressed, lunches made and out the door with clean teeth and faces (along with my hubby) within 45 minutes of arriving home from work. I was thinking of the one thing that really makes my mornings go smoothly, and it boiled down to one item in particular that I had purchased about 2 years ago from Lilly's Kids. They are the Weekday Closet Organizer, and I have one for both of the kiddos. Every Sunday, after laundry is done, I put the kiddos' school uniforms in this neat little contraption, and then for the rest of the week, it's a daily no brainer on where their uniforms are or which uniform to wear on that day! It's especially great when I have to work late and my hubby has to get the kiddos ready!

My list of 5 more things that help get the kiddos and hubby out the door on time include:

1. I keep a plastic place mat (which I purchased at Wal-Mart for about a dollar) near the front door for the kiddos to keep their school shoes on. The kiddos know when they come in from school to take off their shoes and put them on the mat, and that way, we never have to play the "where is my other shoe" game. It's also very easy and quick to pick up when company is coming over.

2. We keep and USE a hook by the door for my keys, so we don't have to play the "where did I put my keys" game.

3. I try to plan out the kids' lunches the weekend before and get everything I need at the store on Sunday (after coupons have been cut). Once I get home, I wash all the fruits and divide them up into single lunch servings before storing them in plastic containers. That way if I did not have time to make the lunch the night before, it's just grab and go.***Just a side note, I really hate using plastic bags or ziplock bags for the kids' lunches, so I really love sandwich containers, and I was able to find some really cute ones at Target for only $1, which I love even more!

4. My daughter has long hair, so in order to keep her clips in order, I purchased a large wooden letter from Hobby Lobby (on sale for $1.50) and used my hot glue gun to secure two long strands of ribbon to attach the clips to. It's cute, effective and inexpensive!

5. My final quick tip to get through the morning rush is no TV. I only get the 45 minutes to get them ready AND get in as many kisses, hugs and conversations as I can, so I don't want to waste any time competing with Dora for my kids' attention. Plus, it has been my observation that in the past, when TV was allowed, those ended up being the "late" mornings. So, the TV stays off, I stay sane and the kids arrive on time . . . there REALLY is a SCIENCE to it, and I love me some science:)!!

Take Another Little Piece of My Heart . . . On a Stick

2010-02-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of the cake pops I did for our Valentine's celebration with my in-laws. The cake was red velvet mixed with cream cheese icing, pink chocolate and V-Day sprinkles! Yummy! XOXOXO

Pink is the New White in Snowman Land

2010-01-31T00:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of the pink snowgirl cake that I did for my friend's daughter's Winter ONE-derland themed birthday party. It all started when my friend, Tara came up with such a cute idea for her daughter's first birthday party, a pink, wintery ONE-derland theme! She came up with the idea of a pink snowgirl cake, and I loved it! Using the invitation as a guide, my creative juices began to flow:)

Here's the cute invitation!

Here's the sketch I made of the snowgirl cake.

What does it take to make this cake? Lots and lots of stuff!! I'll be mentioning what I used along the way.

When making a cake, you will be washing your hands A LOT, so I thought I'd take time to give a little shot out to my favorite soap, William Sonoma's Peppermint!! It's only available during christmas, so I wait until Christmas has passed and stock up once it goes on sale! Anyway, let's get down to the nitty gritty:)

Here's a big glob of marshmellow fondant that I made using Peggy Weaver's recipe. Marshmellow fondant is easy to make, but slightly more difficult to roll out and use compared to the store bought fondant. But, it does taste a lot better! Once the fondant is done, I divided it up and dyed it into various colors using Wilton's dye. I than sculpted the arms, nose, holly leaves, darker pink polka dots and bow, a hat and a banner. Depending on the size, it's usually a good idea to let the shaped fondant dry at room temperature for a day in order to harden.

Here are a few sculpted items, the holly leaves and bow, stick arms and polka dots. For the "carrot" nose, I sculpted it and than stuck a little toothpick in the back, so that it would stay in place on the snowgirl's face, and than set it upright on a piece of styrofoam to dry. (I was going to include a pick, but my hubby mentioned it looking like a falic symbol, so I decided to leave it out).

Here are the two halves of the sphere cake. I used Wilton's Sports Ball cake pan. Once the cakes were cooled, I used a serrated knife to flatten the bottom of one of the halves so that it would sit flat on the base. Then, I iced the top with buttercream icing (I use Wilton's recipe) and added the other half of the sphere. I than iced the entire ball in buttercream and than covered it in fondant; which had been dyed pink. And, for you dirty minded folks, you know who you are, my hubby also recommended I not include this pic, but since I was asked how I made a spherical cake, I included it anyway . . . so go ahead and have a little snicker, and let's move on:)

Here are all three tiers covered in fondant. The body and the head were actually made out of the same cake mixture as the cake pops, so we'll get to that later. Each tier was iced with buttercream, wrapped in fondant and than stacked using a wooden dowel to secure it in place. I did not worry about making the fondant perfect, because I knew I'd be adding some sparkle and other details that would hide imperfections.

I then decided to add some sparkle to enhance the wintery theme, and really, what girl doesn't want some sparkle in her life? I bought some silver pearl dust and large pink granular sugar (which I put in a zip lock bag and used my rolling pin to crush into smaller pieces) and added those into a bowl with a little bit of vanilla extract. Now, don't worry about the alcohol in the vanilla, because it will evaporate. Other sites will recommend you using everclear or some other type of liquer, but I like to use vanilla, because it works just as well, and it adds the yummy smells of the cake. Once that was all dry, I freehanded a few snowflakes using the white buttercream, a regular piping bag and a #1 tip. I than added the hat and stuck on some polka dots to mimic the invitation.

Here's some close up details of the face. I used some store bought icing in a can with a star tip to create the fringe around the base of the hat and at the tip top. I than added the holly leaves and some red sprinkles (later I also added the darker pink bow to the hat as well). I attached the nose and cheeks to the face and drew on the eyes, mouth and buttons using a black edible pen. With the white buttercream and #1 tip, I added some little accent dots to all the black "coal" pieces.

Here's how the little snowgal looks thus far! I also poked some holes in the side of the body to be able to attach the "stick" arms. I made a little white and pink striped scarf by laying pink and white fondant together and than rolling over them with my rolling pin. Once all that was put together, it was time to focus on making the "snow" for the base.

I used coconut for the snow and threw it into the mixer with more of the silver pearl dust, pink dye and smaller sized sugar sprinkles. I than pulsed it until I thought it looked like snow and than poured it out around the cake. Finally, I wrote a little message for the birthday girl on the banner and place it on the base as well.

Here's the final product! But, I wasn't done just yet . . . now for the cake pops!

I got the idea for these cake pops from Bakerella, and I just want to say that they are so easy and delicious! There are so many possibilities for these, and it's great for kiddos to help with too! My daughter is 4 and had the best time unwrapping the candies, shredding the cake and drawing on the faces! I highly recommend giving these a try!!! Anyway, to make them, just use any store bought cake mix, bake according to directions, cool and than shred into a bowl. Next, add any tub of store bought icing and mix (either with the back of a spoon or your hands; hands are easier, but very messy).

So, it looks pretty yucky at this stage, but believe you me, it is so YUMMY!!

I bought a little ice cream scoop to make perfect little spheres, than stuck them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and than stuck them in the fridge. While they hardened, I melted some pink chocolate chips in the microwave. I bought some lollipop sticks at Hobby Lobby, and once the chocolate was melted, I dipped one end of the stick in the chocolate and than stuck it into the cooled ball of cake. Once that was dry, I dipped the entire ball into the pink chocolate, attached the nose (an orange Tic Tac) and than set it in a styrofoam block to dry. For the hat, I used one York Peppermint Patty and attached a mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup using the melted pink chocolate. I had flower shaped sprinkles already, and used the chocolate to attach them to the hat as well, after adding a little center dot with my red edible marker. I than allowed all the pops to dry in the styrofoam block.

Here are all my little snowgirls in a row:)

My daughter and I used the edible markers to draw the rest of the face.

I bought little bags and ties for the cake pops, but decided I didn't like the gold ties, so I ran back up to Hobby Lobby and bought some cute white and pink ribbon to tie the cake pops instead. They turned out so darn cute, if I do say so myself:) REALLY, you must try this one! I am already thinking about red velvet Valentine's Day cake pops! Can't wait!

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Baby K! I love you!!

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Dr. Seuss - HMMMM . . .

2010-01-28T22:20:00.000-08:00

Well, it was not one of the best mornings at work! Two codes in the morning back to back followed by no morning person to relieve me! So, I did not get home until very LATE! Then I still had so much adrenaline running through my veins that I could not sleep, but I was too tired to go to the store, so now I'm behind in my cake making . . . sigh! Oh well, I'll get it done! I left extra early for work, so I could go to Micheals and Kroger's to get everything I need; however, Kroger did not have the pink strawberry cake mix, so I had to get yellow . . . sigh again. I plan on trying another store on my way home to see if they might have it, but if not, then sadly, yellow will have to suffice. I finished my shopping early though and was able to check in at Anthropology to try on a new shirt that I've had my eyes on.

But, alas, it looked like I was wearing shoulder pads, and I'm not into bringing back that look;)! Needless to say, January 28th was not my ideal day; however, today was EXTREMELY special, because it was my niece's birthday! And, remembering that and thinking of her makes everything else pretty minute! She is so much fun and has entertained us all since the day she was born! I LOVE her SO MUCH! It makes me feel so blessed for all the things in my life, and allows me to remember a saying my husband loves to quote, "Don't sweat the petty stuff, just pet the . . .". Well, nevermind the rest; it's the first part that matters! So, with that, I'm saying a prayer for all my poor patients who are at the hospital here tonight, I'm preparing a new plan of action for the snowman cake, and I'm saying "C'est la vie" to my beloved Anthropology fashion obcession! Tomorrow is gone and today's gonna be bright (except for the snow and ice predicted in the morning for my drive home)! ;)

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl! I wish I was there to give you a big smooch!!! MWUAH!!!!

Detox didn't work for me . . . FYI

2010-01-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I did the Jillian Michaels Detox and Cleanse but did not think it worked! I did not lose any weight, lose belly bloat, or feel lighter and more energized as it said I would. Even while taking the pills, I did not go potty more or feel energized, so I will be going back to Target to try and get my "money back guarentee" since I was not completely satisfied (I'll let you know how that goes). I am working out but feel like I have reached a plateau, so would like to try something to nudge me over! I'm off to google to see what I should try next. I just wanted to let anyone out there know that you might want to save you $30 for something else that gives better results! I'll keep it posted as to what I find!

On another note, I will be beginning the cake for my friend's daughter tomorrow. Since I've done my drawing, my next step is prep work. My to do list for tomorrow is as follows:
1. Buy Marshmellows, crisco and powdered sugar for my marshmellow fondant (you can get a great recipe and some cute ideas from Peggy Weaver's website )
2. I also need to get some shredded coconut, because I think I'm gonna try to use that to make snow around the snowman I'm making.
3. And, I need to buy cake mix (since I'm working this week, I would not have time to make a homemade cake). I think I will try strawberry for the main body of the snowman to incorporate the color pink even more and than chocolate for head and for some cake pops that I was planning on making as well (Oh, which means I have to go to Hobby Lobby and get pink colored chocolate chips, sticks and styrofoam). For more ideas on cake pops, check out Bakerella.
4. I plan on dying all the fondant with the colors I need (light pink, dark pink, black, green, red, white, orange, brown) and start sculpting a few of the items for the cake (arms, eyes, buttons, holly, hat, nose, and a banner that will say, "Kinsley's Winter ONE-derland".
5. Make my buttercream icing (Which I use the recipe from Wilton's)
And, that's it:)!!
I will try try try to take pictures of my progress, but I have tried on many cakes to do so and always end up getting so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I end up forgetting! But, I will try harder this time to remember! Wish me luck!!

Anthropologie Bound

2010-01-19T04:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Tara for showing me how to link to my blog! I must admit, I'm not too terribly computer savvy!

I'm so excited! I think I will get some time to go to my FAVORITE store today - Anthropologie! There are 2 shirts that I'm dying to try on and a pair of shoes. Hopefully, they will work out! I love that store, and was so excited to learn that there are blogs that have been created just for the sheer glory of this store! I LOVE it! Here is a link to my fav thus far - it's called Effortless Anthropologie. Too FUN!

I was able to locate of few more tidbits of my creatvie juices. I guess I'm on a post as I go plan, as most of the things I've created have long been stored in lost files on our computer:) Oh well, I'll post as I find them!

SEWING

My Stocking

My Princess's tap shoe stocking

PAINTINGS

A painting I did for my parent's anniversary - it is suppose to look like a beach scene that someone cut out of a magazine and then tapped up on a wall, but it's all acrylic paint.

My Dad is a huge W.C. Fields fan, and I did this painting for him. It was my first black and white portrait, and first piece I did using different textures.

This is a painting I did to match the one below. They both hang in my casa del sol.

I did this painting for my husband as an engagement present - the letters E. Y. S. P. stand for Eternally Yours, Stacey P. (which was to be my new last name, plus worked as my signiture on the painting)

A couple of cute little birdies that I painted; which are nesting nicely in my sister's hallway.

CAKES

This was actually my first sculpted cake I did for my friend's daughter's 1st bday.

Here's the little cow in the back of the barn

I did this cake for another friend whose daughter was turning one and son was turning 3. She did a combo garden/digger theme, so I made the cake look like the diggers were clearing the area to create more room for the garden to grow.

It was also the first time I did flowers or a bird bath complete with sparkly gel as water.

Old school ski ball Chuck E Cheese cake a did for Great Aunt Jan's 50th.

Tasha from the Backyardigans cake.

The first 3D cakes I ever made! They were for my daughter's first birthday.

For more cakes see previous post here!

Don't get your stockings in a wad

2010-01-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

You're never too early when it comes to Christmas:)! My sis-in-law asked for some "creative" Christmas stockings like the ones I did for my family! And, since her birthday is in March, I hopped right to it! Here they are!!

Here is the initial sketch of the stockings, and from here, I made a pattern and found the different material, interfacing, buttons, fringe and all the other extra fun accessories!

My sis-in-law's stocking - I wanted to look like a fancy victorian-esk type shoe with some bling! I basically cut out the shape I wanted, sewed different fabrics and trim together and presto! I just can't wait to give it to her!!

Some of the details - I love the beaded fringe that I found at Hancock Fabrics! Other materials came from Joann's and Hobby Lobby!

This is for my older niece - she takes ballet and I added a little tutu and there are sequins sewn around the shoe and top part of the tutu for a little shine.

This ice skate is for my younger niece. Everything on this stocking sparkles! From the blade, to the lavendar sparkle "tights", and even the buttons; which I found at Hobby Lobby and LOVE!

Here is my Brother-in-Law's motorcycle style boot. Complete with faux leather and even a chain as the stocking hanger (again I found at Hobby Lobby).

I could not find a sliver ring or brackets that I liked and would fit on the stocking, so I used one of my bronze curtain rod rings and sandpapered the heck out of it until the silver underneath came through. For the circular brackets, I found little round buttons at Hobby Lobby, and I just painted them silver! I LOVED how they turned out!!!!

Here are a few other stockings that I did! The first one is a tap shoe that I did for my daughter, and the second one is a snazzy elf boot that I did for myself! I also did a golf shoe for my son (picture to come around Christmas time!

Whirly Twirly

2010-01-15T00:04:00.000-08:00

Well my friend Tara suggested about a year ago that a start a blog . . . well, I'm finally giving it a whirl! I love being creative, especially when I can share it with my friends and family! This week I've been working on several projects! One is Christmas stockings that my Sister-in-Law asked me to make her and her family for her birthday present in March (oh, and did I tell you I do EVERYTHING way way way in advance? That way if I mess it up, I have plenty of time for redos). I did stockings for my family a couple of years ago when I could not find just what I wanted, and I LOVED making them. Mine is a red, Victorian Elf boot, my little Princess got a tap shoe, my sweet baby boy got a golf shoe, and my hubby got a cowboy boot, but I found a really cute, so his was not made by me. But, it was bought by me with lots of LOVE:)!! (I'll post some picks when I learn how)! For my Sis-in-law who is very stylish, I made a very ornate high heel shoe with rhinestones, fringe, feathers . . . the works! I made it a bit too skinny, but I love it! For her two beautiful daughters, I made a ballet shoe complete with a tutu, and I made an ice skate with lavendar fringe and silver accents! And, for my Brother-in-law, I am making a motorcycle style boot (I haven't finished that one just yet, but am very excited about the chain I bought as the hanger). Again, I will post picks ASAP, and include the patterns that I drew out as well.

The second fun thing I've been planning is a birthday cake for Tara's daughter who is turning ONE!! (How did that happen so fast???) The theme is Winter ONE-derland!! Too cute. There is lots of pink, snowflakes and snowman. And, Tara is great b/c she gives me the freedom to let my creative juices flow. I'm planning a pink snowgirl, complete with carrot nose, stick arms, and a pink polka dotted hat - similar to the one on her invitation. I'll post the pic of my sketch. I can't wait to get started!! It's too too fun.

Here are some Cakes from the Past:)

Underwater themed cake

Little Mermaid

Mickey Mouse

Superhero Cake

Tinkerbell